Editor’s note: Studying from home

Students are gearing up for a new school year and with classes being delivered remotely this fall, it’s safe to say that the university experience will be drastically different.  

Namely because students will be required to study from home and if you’re anything like me, you’re already dreading it.  

While I only have one class left before I graduate with my minor, the idea of having to study from home is a little intimidating.  

In previous school years you would see me at the third floor of the library surrounded by my laptop, textbooks and class notes.  

This year, I’ll be working and studying from my home in a shared student apartment just down the street from the school.  

While this is not my first time taking online classes, this year will undoubtedly come as a challenge. I’ve always found my online classes harder to keep up with than my in-person ones and I’m sure this year will be no exception.  

So, as someone who prefers to study on campus, I can’t say that I’m looking forward to still being in my room 24/7.  

I know that being in stage three of reopening means that many cafes and libraries are now permitting patron use, but there’s no telling how long this will last before restrictions will be tightened again. 

While it’s possible that many campuses, Laurier included, will open to some capacity so that students can study, it’s important to still be mindful of the fact that we’re in the midst of a pandemic.  

With that said, developing alternative studying habits will be crucial this school year.  

First, I’ve noticed that in my previous online classes, scheduling times to do my school work has been a struggle. 

Hours blur together when you’re always spending time at home and it can become hard to manage your time.  

Often, different tasks require differing levels of concentration. Dividing my work into manageable chunks is something that I’ve found to be super helpful when studying at home.  

So, doing my readings in one time slot and assignments in another can be helpful with managing my workload.  

While this advice applies to on-campus studying as well, giving yourself enough time to complete a task is crucial. 

Keeping a designated workspace and a clean study area are other key components to making sure that you’re able to stay on top of your tasks.  

Better yet, cleaning is a go-to method if you’re looking to procrastinate on an assignment.  

Ultimately, the hardest part about studying from home is remembering that you still have work to do. It’s easy to get distracted when your routine looks different than usual, but staying motivated and on top of your work is the most important step.  

Most importantly, remember to have a clear cut-off for when you’re finished studying for the day. Always thinking about studying can be draining, especially if you’re spending all day in the place where you relax, work, study and sleep.